The Buffalo Bills are trading star wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans for a 2025 second-round pick. In addition, the Texans are getting back 2025 fifth and sixth-round picks. For the Bills, they are incurring a massive salary cap loss, but the entire trade that was executed now offers a peer into the top wide receiver market. The Steelers could be in that.
It would not be that surprising if they at least explored trading for Diggs, too. But, of course, the primary target they have been linked to is Brandon Aiyuk. That situation is different since Diggs was traded with a massive deal already strapped to him. However, Aiyuk is younger and will have to be paid, so this could set somewhat of a market for him if the 49ers had to move him.
With CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson set to break the bank soon enough, paying that much for Aiyuk would not be that stunning, especially after Calvin Ridley got a massive contract on the open market from the Tennessee Titans. And apparently, the 49ers and Aiyuk remain far apart, according to Mike Garafolo.
“Well, we’re not close. And they have made a recent run at it, from my understanding, Mike Yam. It’s not like they haven’t had any discussions. They have had preliminary discussions. You saw John Lynch say Brandon Aiyuk could play in the fifth-year option and play out his deal—they’re comfortable with that. Then you’ve got Aiyuk doing the little finger thing saying, ‘Hey, I could walk.’ So, basically, it’s a little bit of a standoff right now. Now look, this is not where the Deebo Samuel thing was, and as bad as that got with Samuel basically requesting a trade, they were still able to salvage that. So let’s not panic here. Let’s not freak out. And maybe if it gets to the point where there’s some offseason workouts and OTAs and Brandon Aiyuk does a little finger emoji saying, ‘Yeah, I’m going to be walking the other way instead of going to those voluntary workouts,” Garafolo said.
Diggs being moved could be the first piece in a moving wide receiver market. That stands for the trade market, but could be true for the free agency market, too. With players like Tyler Boyd, Odell Beckham Jr., D.J. Chark, and others out there still, the Steelers could easily look into that market. Last year, the team landed Allen Robinson a week before the draft. Past history says that more moves are likely coming before the draft that will in the lines for some of their needs.